Vampires, Wolves, & Witches Oh My!
by Darkfire75
Summary: AU fic. Arthur is a witch caught in the middle of a war between vampires and werewolves. He meets a new wolf that changes his future forever. Mainly SpUK, with side and past FrUK and NorUK.
1. Chapter 1

_**Author's note:**__ New fic alert! So the title isn't definite. I'll probably change it later but for now that's all I could think of :U SO. This will be an England/Spain fic later on. There are moments of France/England and Norway/England as well. Basically, Arthur's a witch caught in the middle of the war between werewolves and vampires. I might put out a list of who's a witch, vamp, and werewolf sometime soon. For now, enjoy the first chapter ;w;_

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><p><strong><em>Chapter 1<em>**

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><p>He found the beast whimpering outside his cottage. Arthur never took in strays but there was something almost pitiful about this one. He stayed out of the way of the mundane war going on. He was a witch and no matter how often either side tried to persuade him, he stayed neutral. It was the only reason he was still alive.<p>

But this particular werewolf had stumbled upon his step, dripping from a large wound in his abdomen. Arthur made a sound of disapproval as he stepped out and hoisted the creature into his arms. He knew that even though it may look human, it was really a ravenous beast.

"Stop whimpering," he growled. Dark green eyes stared back at him. He mumbled a few spells under his breath and watched as the wound started to close. "What clan are you?"

The wolf shook his head. "No clan," he rasped out. "N-Newly turned."

Arthur's eyes widened. "So is that how you got injured?" He had heard of clans attacking newly turned wolves for no other reason other than they were too hungry to search out a meal.

Once again, he shook his head. "Vampires. They found me."

"I see." Arthur helped remove the other's torn shirt, unable to stop himself from staring at the golden skin. "Do you have a name?"

"Antonio," he said softly.

"How did you know I lived here?"

Antonio blinked. "I didn't. I only hoped you weren't human."

"You're lucky, wolf."

The other man tensed up. "Don't call me that. Please."

Arthur shrugged and continued to mumble spells. "If you led the vampires to my cabin, I might just kill you myself," he grumbled.

Antonio's eyes widened. "You don't mean that, do you?"

"I have a knife of pure iron and liquid mercury in the back. Don't tempt me, wolf."

When he was done fixing the wounds on Antonio, Arthur expected the beast to get up and leave. Any werewolf or vampire who came to him for healing was usually in and out before Arthur had time to ask if they wanted some tea. But this one didn't look like he was in any hurry.

"You can leave anytime now," he grumbled out.

Antonio looked over at him. "I…have no where to go."

"Do you remember the wolf who turned you?"

"I just know he was very big…"

"Well that sums it up," Arthur sighed. "Any other features?"

"He had some hair pieces out of place."

"Hm…Could be Caesar. He's a very powerful clan leader."

Antonio didn't seem interested. "I…I don't want to go to a clan," he said softly.

"Well you can't stay here with me," Arthur snarled as he put some of his potions away. "I'm in neutral territory. I will not have you bringing the war to my front door, thank you very much. I know there must be a coven of vampires on your trail as we speak. So I suggest you leave now and find your clan."

"But—" He suddenly stopped, ears picking up movement from outside. His nose detected a horribly familiar scent and he paled. "Oh no…"

Arthur whirled around to look at him. "What?"

"V-Vampire…"

The witch narrowed his eyes and looked at his door. "Wonderful. You better hide, wolf."

"You're not just going to open the door, are you?"

"If they want something, I must give it to them. It's why they don't kill me. So hide your arse somewhere and pray they don't smell you." He slowly walked up to the door and opened it. An attractive blonde man stood outside, grinning to show off his fangs. Arthur glared at him. "Oh. It's _you_," he spat.

"_Oui_," the vampire said, gliding into the little cabin. "It has been a long time, non?"

"Get out."

"Is that any way to treat a guest? Tsk, tsk, _ma chérie_."

"Why are you here, Francis?" he growled.

Francis pouted. "Can I not come visit you?"

"Not unless you have a purpose. So spill it."

The vampire chuckled. "My, you know me so well." He stepped closer, bringing a hand up to Arthur's face. He leaned in and brushed his lips against the witch's. "You know why I'm here," he whispered.

"No, I'm afraid I don't," Arthur hissed back, trying to ignore how intoxicating Francis was.

Francis smirked and walked around him. "I know a wolf passed by here. I was the one chasing him."

"I pity that wolf then."

"Ha, but you see, he was injured. I know he came to you, Arthur."

"I haven't seen any wolves around here in weeks. You know they prefer to keep their packs away from me."

"_Oui_, I know." Francis stopped walking and stood behind him, breathing along his neck heavily. "You look so lovely from the back…"

Arthur remained still, even when Francis pressed against him, running a tongue down the side of his neck. He swallowed hard, knowing full well the vampire could easily kill him on the spot. But he wouldn't. Both sides had an agreement with the witch not to harm him as long as he remained neutral.

"S-Stop that," he said after a moment, gasping as he felt the fangs very lightly scraping against his skin.

"…Very well." Francis stepped back around to face him. "Your skin looks so lovely when it's flushed," he smiled.

"If this is all you came here to say, then leave. You've overstayed your welcome."

Francis' eyes narrowed and flashed red in an instant. His hand reached out at lightning speed and grabbed Arthur around the neck, lifting him up off the ground. "You have no authority over me, _witch_," he hissed dangerously. Arthur choked and struggled against his iron grip, trying to mumble an incantation. "If I find out you have been harboring a wolf, I will report you to my superiors. You wouldn't like that." He brought Arthur down closer so that they were inches apart. "I'd hate to kill you over something so easily avoided," he said, stroking Arthur's cheek with a finger. He released the other blonde and grinned as the witch gasped for air. "Do I make myself clear?"

Arthur glared at him. "Yes," he snapped.

"Good." Francis grabbed Arthur's hand and brought it to his lips. "Just one taste? For compensation." Arthur paled, but after a moment nodded his head in defeat. Francis smiled and brought the left index finger into his mouth. He sucked on it a few seconds before sinking his fangs into the tip. Arthur winced a little. Francis moaned appreciatively as he sucked the blood out. Once he was finished, he pulled back licking his lips. "Your blood is always so delicious and sweet," he cooed, stroking Arthur's trembling hand. "I wonder if it's because you're a witch?"

"Are you done now?" he asked, reaching to grab a cloth to wrap his still bleeding finger in.

"I suppose I am. Lovely to see you, Arthur. You'll be seeing me again soon, I'm sure." He stepped out of the cabin and blew a kiss. "_Au revoir_!" He was gone before Arthur had a chance to blink.

Swearing to himself, Arthur closed the door and slumped down in a chair. Antonio crawled out from wherever he had been hiding and sat next to him. "I'm sorry for causing you trouble," he mumbled.

"Forget it. Francis is the least of my worries."

"But he could kill you."

Arthur shrugged. "I'm not concerned. I've lived for a very long time and I've known Francis most of that time. I have spells to fight him off if it comes down to it."

"…Thank you."

"For what?"

"For healing me. And for not handing me over."

"I didn't do it out of the kindness of my heart," he grumbled.

Antonio smiled a little. "Regardless, I owe you my life."

Arthur wished he would leave already. He didn't want the vampires to start getting suspicious. "You can go," he snarled, grabbing a few potion bottles off the shelf and placing them down on his desk. "They could come back and I wouldn't be able to protect you a second time."

The brunette nodded with a pout. He stood up and held out his hand for Arthur to shake. Arthur stared at it. What the bloody hell was with this werewolf? Couldn't he just leave and let Arthur go back to his solitary neutrality? Antonio seemed to take the hint that Arthur was not going to shake his hand and put it back at his side with a frown. "Um…I guess I'll go now," he said.

"Go out the back," Arthur said without looking at him. "It's a clear run to the clans from there."

"T-Thank you again…"

"Just go already." Arthur glanced over his shoulder and saw that Antonio looked like a kicked puppy as he walked towards the back door. "…Be careful," he muttered. He didn't look to see if Antonio had heard him. All he heard was the quick running and the slam of the door.

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><p><em>Woo. Finally got this baby out there. I honestly was just going to make this a oneshot but the plot got away with me<em> :P


	2. Chapter 2

_**Author's note: **OH HEY. Sorry I haven't updated in so long. Real life got in the way and then I had to reread and edit this chapter so that it was okay to post. Now we're getting to the good stuff. Oldrik, in case you were wondering, is Germania. I looked up some really ancient-sounding names and Oldrik just seemed to stick with me for some reason. Caesar is obviously Rome. Anyway, I hope I can post the next chapter (which features Norway) before I go away on vacation in a week (*flying down to DisneyWorld and Universal Studios fffyeah*). _

_I'm so glad this fic has interested a lot of people. It's my baby right now. I love it. It's the most ambitious story I've ever attempted and it makes me happy to be able to share it with you all. :D _

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><p><strong>Chapter 2 <strong>

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><p>Over the next week, Arthur was left alone. The vampires hadn't returned for a second sweep of his home and no werewolves had stumbled onto his doorstep seeking refuge. Arthur was glad. He liked being able to work on his potions and spells. His happiness disappeared when there was a knock on the back door.<p>

He swore under his breath as he went to answer it and nearly had a heart attack when he was enveloped in a hug by a familiar brunette. Antonio buried his face in the witch's neck and hair, sniffing him and acting more like a wild beast than Arthur remembered.

"What the bloody hell are you doing here?" Arthur hissed as soon as the door was shut. "Do you have any idea what rules you're breaking?"

Antonio smiled back at him, his canines considerably larger than before. "I wanted to see you again. Lovino told me not to but I wanted to make sure the blood-suckers didn't come back here but I don't smell them on you so I know you've been safe." Arthur suspected if Antonio had had a tail at that moment, it would have been wagging excitedly.

"And Caesar just let you run off to come see me, did he?" Arthur managed to snarl back, angry and somewhat flattered that he was worried about.

"Well…not exactly." Antonio scuffed his foot on the floor. "I kind of…went off without telling him. Lovi knows but he won't tell on me."

Arthur covered his face with his hands. "Antonio, you can't do this. You can't just visit me whenever you want to. Didn't your Clan teach you anything?"

"They taught me how to hunt. And they taught me how to kill a blood-sucker."

Arthur frowned. "Did they happen to mention that I am neutral and that I take no sides? I take care of both vampire and werewolf if they need it. That was my agreement with the Clans and the Covens of this land. My life would be spared. You are breaking that rule by being here. I cannot be friends with you, Antonio. By all rights, I shouldn't even know your name."

"Well that's stupid," Antonio grumbled back. "Why can't I be friends with you? You saved my life."

"It's a rule that's been in place for hundreds of years. You're too young to understand apparently."

"…I'm pretty sure I'm older than you."

Arthur rolled his eyes. "Trust me when I say I'm older than I look."

Antonio didn't seem convinced but didn't say anything else on the matter. "I just…missed you," he said softly.

"You shouldn't." Arthur grabbed a few potions and dumped them in his cauldron. "I can take care of myself just fine."

"Can I visit you tomorrow?"

"No."

Antonio's smile didn't falter. "Okay, tomorrow it is!"

And so Arthur found himself being visited constantly for the next few days. Antonio wouldn't really do anything. He'd just hang around until he decided he'd had enough or until he was hungry and needed to eat. Arthur found he almost enjoyed his company. As much as he liked his solitude, having a 'friend' wasn't so bad.

It became bad one day. It was a day before the full moon and Antonio was scared of transforming for the very first time and had gone to Arthur for guidance. "You have your Clan members to talk to about this," Arthur groaned. "I don't know anything about transformations."

"Do you know if it hurts?" Antonio asked from the corner of the room.

"I'm sure it does."

"Will I kill?"

"You might." Antonio growled low in his throat and Arthur glanced back at him. "I'm sorry I can't do more for you."

"Can I stay here with you tonight?"

Arthur tensed up immediately. "Are you mad?" he hissed as he turned around to face him. "You already risk my life by visiting me everyday but now you want to _stay_ here with me? You must be bloody joking."

Antonio pouted and looked away. "I'm sorry I'm such an inconvenience to you," he grumbled. He stood up from where he was crouched. "I won't bother you again." He started walking towards the back door, obviously angry.

"Antonio, if you leave angry you might do something you regret." Arthur tried to block his path but he wasn't strong enough. Antonio had him pinned against the door.

"Why do you even care, Arthur?" he spat. "I'm just an annoying werewolf, aren't I? If I die, you won't care."

"You know that's not true!" Arthur glared back at him. "We're passed the point of me not caring."

"Then why can't I stay? If those blood-suckers come here I'll tear them apart."

Arthur shook his head. "You're not strong enough."

"You keep saying that, but you haven't seen me fight." He pressed Arthur against the door more, making the blonde wince.

"I can't choose sides," he said.

Antonio growled again and before Arthur even had a chance to blink, their mouths were connected. Arthur's eyes widened and he pushed against Antonio. The other didn't even acknowledge him and continued kissing him hungrily. Finally, Arthur was able to shove him away and took deep breaths.

"Get out," he whispered.

Antonio's own eyes were wide, as though he couldn't believe what he had just done. "Arthur, I—"

"_Get out_!"

Antonio didn't wait to be told again and ran out the door as fast he could. Arthur stumbled to his chair and sat down once he left, taking deep breaths and wishing the last few weeks had never happened.

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><p>The next night, Arthur stared up at the full moon through his window and heard the distant howls of the werewolves from the forest. He sighed heavily and was about to get up and look through his spell book when there was a knock at his front door.<p>

_Oh no_. Arthur had a guess on who it was and prepared himself when he opened the door. His face paled immediately. "L-Lord Oldrik," he gasped, staring at the incredibly pale vampire before him. Francis and another vampire were standing behind him, giving Arthur cold looks. "T-To what do I owe this surprise visit?"

"I have heard things," the tall blonde vampire began, gliding into Arthur's home without invitation. Francis and the other, whom Arthur recognized as Oldrik's nephew Gilbert, followed after him, now effectively trapping Arthur in his own home. He swallowed hard.

"Oh? Good things, I hope?"

Gilbert snickered from behind his uncle. "You're in deep shit, witch."

"Gilbert, be silent." Oldrik's eyes flashed a dangerous red and the younger closed his mouth. "However it saddens me, he speaks the truth."

"I-I don't understand," Arthur said nervously. "W-What have I done?"

"You've been fraternizing with those _beasts_," Francis snarled. "I've seen it. Even now, I can smell that disgusting creature's scent all over you."

Arthur's heart was pounding hard in his chest. "I…"

"This is a breach of our trust in you, Arthur," Oldrik said calmly. "You are to heal those in need and nothing more. Have you broken your neutrality?"

"No! I haven't! I will never choose a side!" Francis moved forward quickly and wrapped a hand around his throat. Arthur's eyes widened as his throat was squeezed mercilessly.

"I will delight in seeing you die," Francis hissed, baring his fangs.

"Be still, Francis." Oldrik placed a hand on the younger blonde's shoulder. Francis backed away as Arthur gasped for air. "His punishment will be carried out but not by feeding. We shall punish him the old fashioned way."

Arthur had no defense against them as Gilbert appeared behind him and knocked him unconscious. By the time Arthur was awake, he found his arms bound behind his back. He looked around and started to panic. They had tied him to a stake.

"Y-You can't do this!" he cried with wide eyes, panic setting in. "Who will heal your injured?"

"We will find another witch," Oldrik said as he walked around the pyre. "Francis, do it."

Arthur saw Francis sneer at him as he walked closer, grabbing a torch. Arthur started to struggle against the ropes. "No! Please!"

"You brought this on yourself," Francis hissed.

"Francis," he pleaded, a few tears staining his cheeks. "Don't do this…"

"You will not get sympathy from me, Arthur." He tossed the fire down onto the sticks around Arthur's feet.

Arthur screamed and cried and did all he could to try and get away as the flames licked his robes. "Don't let me die!" he shrieked. "_Please_!" The flames moved higher and he could feel it on his feet and he yelled in pain. A new sound suddenly joined his screaming. Howls erupted from the woods and within minutes a pack of half-transformed werewolves came running from the trees and tackled the vampires, snapping and snarling at them.

Arthur felt his own consciousness fading. The flames were up his leg now and the pain was so horrible that the screams wouldn't leave his throat. "Arthur! ARTHUR!" A figure was rushing to him, hands were untying him, he felt himself being carried away but his leg hurt so much…

"Retreat!" another voice was calling. The last thing Arthur saw before falling asleep was bright green eyes staring down at him on a worried face.

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><p><em>Why Arthur was pleading with Francis the way he was will be explained soon. In my headcanon for this universe, the werewolves are more conscious when they're half-transformed. I picture them all in varying stages of transformation. Anyway, hope you liked this! If you want a full list of who's a vampire, werewolf, or witch just ask and it will be provided in the next chapter. c:<em>


	3. Chapter 3

_**Author's note: **AHHH VERY LONG OVERDUE UPDATE. I am so sorry. Life got in the way and I was hesitant to release this next chapter because it didn't feel complete yet but I figured I had to update. I made everyone wait so long ;_; can you ever forgive me? I have no abandoned this fic. In fact, I'm working on a prologue for it as well because my mind is swimming in this universe of characters. Specifically Francis and Arthur and how they came to be. So watch out for that whenever I manage to finish it and this fic right here. But enough of that, here's the next installment!_

_Also, the new characters mentioned in this chapter_

**_Aleksander = Norway_**

**_Bela = Belgium_**

**_Lili = Lietchtenstein_**

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><p><strong>Chapter 3<strong>

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><p>When Arthur woke up, he immediately knew he wasn't in his cabin anymore. He sat up and saw that his left leg was bandaged up. Before he could even try to remember how he had escaped death last night, Antonio was kneeling beside him.<p>

"How are you feeling?" A warm hand touched his forehead.

Arthur gaped at him. "W-Where am I…?"

"Arthur, my Clan and I saved you last night."

"B-But…how?"

Antonio smiled down at him. "I knew something was wrong. The night was nearly over though when I heard your screams and I told Caesar you were in trouble and he agreed to tell everyone to go help."

"You saved my life."

"Let's call it payback for you saving mine."

Arthur's cheeks turned red. "I-I don't know what to say…"

"A thanks would be nice." A large man came striding forward, coming to sit down beside Arthur. "We just screwed up so much shit last night, I can't even begin to explain it."

"I'm sorry, Caesar," Arthur mumbled. "I didn't want to get you involved."

"Hey, it's not your fault." The larger man shrugged. "Any chance we get at attacking blood-suckers I'm all for it. It's _this_ guy's fault." He punched Antonio in the arm lightly.

Antonio looked ashamed. "I brought this on," he mumbled. "I hope you can forgive me, Arthur."

"You better hope he does," Caesar snarled. "I'm still debating if _I _should forgive you or not."

"What now?" Arthur asked suddenly. "The vampires will take this as an act of war against us all."

"Hey, I know you've been neutral the last couple hundred years, but we've _been_ at war. This is nothing new to us."

"Yes, but now they're going to be angrier than ever because I broke my promise of not choosing a side," he said.

"_We_ chose you, not the other way around. Those blood-sucking pansies would have killed you sooner if they could." Caesar looked at Antonio. "Go help Feli and Lovi with breakfast." Antonio nodded without question and stood up to leave. Caesar glanced back at Arthur and sighed. "I'm gonna have to call a Clan meeting, aren't I?"

"It would be wise," Arthur nodded. "And I will send word to my witch brethren. They should aid us."

"They like werewolves?"

"Not particularly, but they like _me_."

The brunette shrugged. "Works for me either way."

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><p>Arthur found himself adapting to life among the werewolves not as horrible as he had imagined. For such ferocious beasts, they were perhaps the nicest people Arthur had ever known. Granted, it could just be because he was on good terms with their leader and they were not allowed to eat him.<p>

He spent his days trying to contact the witches he knew were his allies. Aleksander was his closest ally but he lived up north in the frozen tundra, and it was very difficult to send messages there. His other ally, Bela, was last seen on the continent somewhere in Belgium but he hadn't heard a reply from her yet.

"Arthur?" He was shaken from his thoughts as he turned to see Antonio looking nervously at him. "How are you feeling?"

Arthur shrugged his shoulders. Although his physical injuries were healed now, mentally, he wasn't doing so well. "The same as ever, I suppose," he replied.

"Any word from your witch friends?"

"No," he shook his head. "I'm wondering if the vampires got to them first…"

"Don't think like that." Antonio came to sit down beside him at the edge of the stream. "They're probably on their way now."

He smiled slightly. "I wish I had your optimism."

There was a long pause before Antonio finally cleared the air. "Arthur, I have a question but you don't have to answer it if you don't want to."

Arthur's eyebrows rose curiously. "What is it?"

"That vampire Francis…what happened between you two?" He tensed up immediately and Antonio noticed. "S-Sorry, was that a bad thing to ask?"

"I told you before that I've known him a long time," he started softly, "and I meant it. Nearly a century I've known Francis. I…I knew him when he was human."

Antonio's eyes widened. "He was human once?"

"Yes," he said with a small nod. "He—He was my friend. And more."

"You were lovers?"

"We were." Arthur took a deep breath and brought his knees up to his chin. "I loved him, very much. More than I ever told him I think. We had our differences of course and he knew about my witch abilities but he accepted it all. He said i-it was a part of me and he loved everything about me…" Antonio saw his eyes watering. "But then the village where we lived was attacked one night by a vampire. Everyone was killed. I would have died that night as well if Francis hadn't protected me…"

"W-What happened?"

Arthur bit his lip to stop it from trembling. "The vampire found me hiding and was ready to go in for the kill, but Francis stepped in front of me to shield me a-and he was bitten. I think at that point I was blinded by fear and rage, because I did something and it killed the vampire. My memory of that night is hazy. I remember crying over Francis' body, planning to give him a proper burial at least, but then he woke up and I could sense something different in him immediately. He wasn't my Francis anymore." He sniffed back a few tears. Antonio tentatively put a hand on his shoulder. "H-He doesn't remember anything about his life as a human. Or me. He wouldn't have tried to kill me if he did. My Francis w-wouldn't have done something so horrible…" The tears were falling down Arthur's cheeks now before he could stop them and Antonio carefully wrapped his arms around the blonde.

"He won't hurt you again, Arthur," he said. "I promise."

He faked a laugh. "Thanks." _What could you possibly do, Antonio?_

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><p>Days later, other werewolf Clans began gathering in the woods. Arthur kept getting strange looks from them and had three new wolves come up to him when Antonio wasn't around.<p>

"So you're the witch, huh?" All three were quite tall and muscular but the one who talked to him had sun-kissed skin with golden hair and bright blue eyes. He looked to be the other two's leader.

"Yes, that's me," Arthur mumbled.

The blonde cocked his head to the side and smiled, bearing sharpened canines. "You gonna help us fight the blood-suckers?"

"I intend to."

"Heard they almost killed ya," the brunette behind him grunted out.

Arthur stiffened. "Yes. They tried."

Before they could ask anymore questions, Caesar came to his rescue. "Alfred, leave him alone," he growled. "He's been through enough."

Alfred, the blonde, rolled his eyes and turned. "C'mon, guys." His pack followed him away towards the meat pit where everyone was having lunch.

"Sorry about him," Caesar said with a heavy sigh. "He's the youngest Clan leader and still doesn't really know his place."

"It's fine," Arthur replied with a shrug. "I take it everyone got your summons then?"

Caesar nodded. "Yep. I'm almost in shock that they all agreed to help."

"Hn…"

"Still no word from your friends?"

"Not yet," Arthur sighed.

"Well, uh, don't give up hope. I'm sure they'll come."

Arthur smiled slightly. "You sound like Antonio."

"Well, I _am_ his leader."

Before the Brit could reply back, they heard a loud commotion and turned to see what it was. Someone was coming right at their camp. The werewolves were snarling and spitting at whoever it was that dared come into their territory. Arthur squinted to try and see for himself who it was and then his face broke out into a smile. He started running down the hill to meet the new arrival, causing every werewolf in the vicinity to stare at him oddly.

"Aleksander!" he called. The figure was riding on an enormous Earth spirit. Once inside the forest, the man dismounted and the spirit disappeared. Arthur stopped in front of him. "I didn't think you had got my message."

"I almost didn't," the man called Aleksander said softly. "When I saw how urgent it was, I came immediately."

"Thank you," Arthur said as he bowed his head. "I owe you."

"Arthur? Is this…?" Caesar stepped forward curiously.

"This is my friend from the north," Arthur explained. "He will be helping us."

Aleksander regarded the werewolves coolly before bowing to them. "I am honored to meet you." He turned back to Arthur. "There is much to discuss. May we talk in private?"

"Of course." Arthur led him to a secluded area. Once alone, Aleksander seemed to relax better. "What news about the others?" Arthur asked softly.

"Ivan is against us."

Arthur groaned. "I guess I shouldn't have expected him to side with us."

"He sent a message back but I doubt you want me to read it to you."

"I'll pass. What about Lili?"

"She is in hiding."

"Dammit," Arthur hissed. "And Bela?"

"She's on her way as we speak."

Arthur perked up immediately. "She is? That's wonderful. She never replied back so I wasn't sure."

"Yes, it's good news." Aleksander cocked his head to the side. "How are you, Arthur?"

"I'm fine," he said briskly.

"Even after you were almost killed?"

There was a pregnant pause. "I…I made mistakes. I was foolish. But it's in the past now."

Aleksander narrowed his eyes. "You are one of my closest friends and allies, Arthur. Do not insult me by thinking I do not care."

"I know you care," he mumbled. "But I don't want to talk about it."

The other man grabbed Arthur by his arms and pulled him into a hug. Arthur inhaled sharply at the sudden move. Aleksander pulled back and rested his forehead against Arthur's. "Foolish," he whispered, his cool breath on Arthur's face. They were mere inches apart and for a moment, Arthur thought they might kiss. They had done so before, years ago, so it wasn't anything unusual to them, but Arthur felt it wasn't the right time for such intimacy.

"Alek," he whispered, feeling his friend's hands rubbing circles on his back. "We can't do this."

Aleksander pulled back to look at him. "I apologize. I have missed you very much."

"And I you. But now isn't the time."

He nodded and removed his hands, though it was very clear he had wanted to kiss Arthur at that moment. They heard a cough from the side and Arthur turned, seeing Antonio standing there, eyes averted.

"I just…came to see if you were done talking," he mumbled, avoiding eye contact with both Arthur and Aleksander.

"Antonio—"

"Looks like you aren't so I'll just…go." He looked very sad and as he turned to walk away, Arthur debated calling him back but found himself too scared to do it.

"He likes you," Aleksander said after Antonio left.

"You think?" Arthur snarled back.

"Have you two…?"

"No," he sighed. "We kissed once but…it was an accident."

Aleksander cocked his head. "So you do not like him in return?"

"I do but—bloody hell, Alek, why are we discussing my love life when we're planning to go to war with the vampires soon?"

He shrugged. "It's interesting."

Arthur grumbled to himself before replying. "Let's get back out there. I need to sort things out with Antonio."

"Very well."

Arthur found Antonio by the meat pit, slowly eating what looked like a pork leg. The blonde swallowed slightly, looking around to see several other werewolves watching him closely. "Antonio," he said and immediately the other man glanced up at him.

"Finished talking with your _friend_?" he asked coolly.

"There's no reason to be angry at me."

Antonio threw what was left of his meal into the fire pit and then stood abruptly. He turned around to face Arthur, glaring at him. "I'm not angry at you," he snarled.

Arthur glared right back as he crossed his arms over his chest. "You're a horrible liar, Antonio." He shrugged nonchalantly and brushed past him to walk over to his clan. "Ugh," Arthur groaned, taking a seat around the meat pit and putting his head in his hands.

"Love trouble?" one of the wolves chuckled.

"Don't even start," Arthur sighed.

There was another commotion at the edge of the forest but Arthur was too busy trying to figure out what to say to Antonio to clear things up. He felt arms encircle around his neck as well as a puff of warm breath on his cheek, which startled him and nearly made him fall over.

When he saw who the culprit was, he smiled and blushed slightly. "Bela, thank you for coming."

"I had to!" the female witch exclaimed. "Hearing my poor Arthur needed my help, of _course_ I'd come!"

"I'm not _yours_, Bela," he mumbled.

She grinned and ruffled his hair. "That's right. Last time I saw you, you and Alek were getting pretty close."

"I—" He looked around and spotted Antonio staring at him from a distance, anger still present in his eyes. He sighed heavily and sat back down, to which Bela joined right in and started chatting with the werewolves.

Later that night, Arthur lay awake in his tent, thinking about everything that had happened and what was to come. There was no way the vampires wouldn't know about their plans yet. Ivan was sure to have told them all he knew, as he was a vampire sympathizer.

Bela and Aleksander were asleep beside him since he had the only tent and it would have been rude to make his friends sleep outside. He turned over to face Aleksander, only to nearly scream as he saw the northern man lying there wide awake.

"A-Alek," he whispered. "Why aren't you sleeping?"

"Something's troubling you," he said gently, letting a hand caress Arthur's face.

"I-It's nothing." Arthur tried to turn on his side again, but Alek moved closer and wrapped his arms around him. They were mere inches apart and Arthur remembered a similar position they had found themselves in years ago.

"It's about that werewolf, isn't it?"

Arthur tensed immediately. "He's mad at me," he sighed after a minute.

"Ah." Aleksander didn't let him go. Their faces were so close that Arthur couldn't stop staring into his friend's deep blue eyes. "Hopefully he will realize he is making a mistake," he said.

"Hn…"

Alek leaned closer and brushed their lips together. Arthur's eyes widened but he didn't pull away. The touch was familiar and not at all unwelcome as it made him relax. Arthur's own arms came around to hold Alek back as the northern man's lips pressed more fervently against his own. Alek's touches always had some sort of healing ability. Arthur hadn't believed it when they first met but now he almost craved it. It wasn't a physical healing ability, but an emotional one.

Arthur moaned softly as Alek's fingers and lips touched him. He tried to keep as quiet as he could so not to wake up Bela. The more Alek kissed him, the more Arthur began feeling his doubts and worries wash away. "Arthur," Alek breathed out, pressing their foreheads together. "Relax…"

And he did just that, closing his eyes and feeling himself drift off to sleep almost instantly.

When Arthur awoke the next morning, he found himself alone. Aleksander and Bela had already left the tent but Arthur suspected he knew where to find them. As he sat up and stretched, reaching for his cloak and shoes, a shadow loomed over him from the open flap of the tent.

"You're up late," Caesar grunted out, folding his arms across his chest.

"I slept well," Arthur replied with a shrug. "Are Aleksander and Bela at the pit?"

"No, they left at dawn this morning." Immediately, Arthur turned around fully with wide eyes. "When I asked why, all they said was that it wasn't my business."

Arthur swore. "Those two…bloody hell. Which direction did they go?"

Caesar blinked but pointed to the west. "Be careful," he mumbled.

"I'll be fine."

"Do you want to take Antonio with you?"

The blonde stiffened and shook his head. "No. I can handle this on my own."

"Like you handled the vampires?"

Arthur glared at him. "I can handle my own kind, Caesar." Without another word, Arthur pushed past the large werewolf and headed west. He didn't have to travel far to find Alek and Bela near the edge of the forest. "You two have a lot of nerve to up and leave this morning!" he snarled as soon as he was within range.

Both Aleksander and Bela turned towards him in surprise. They looked to be tending to a bird of some sort. "Arthur, we didn't want to wake you," Bela said softly. "And we didn't want to alert the wolves."

"Why? What's going on?"

Alek sighed heavily and held an injured falcon out to Arthur. "It's Lili's."

Arthur's heart sank almost immediately. Lili had been his apprentice a decade ago. Once done with her training, she had moved back to the continent where she and her older brother had once lived to watch over the villagers. "I-Is she all right?"

"According to the letter she attached to its leg," Bela said. "But she's still in hiding. She said the vampires are moving in over there. There's no one around that can back her up…"

"S-She'll be fine." Arthur stared at the letter in his hands, wishing he could go to Lili and bring her to safety. "I trained her, after all."

Aleksander and Bela exchanged looks. "This bird is too injured to fly a message back to her," Alek said softly. "Do you want me to send a troll…?"

"No," Arthur said coolly. "I'll call for a phoenix."

"Are you sure that's wise? Wouldn't it just attract more attention?"

"I know what I'm doing, Alek."

Alek frowned at him. "Right now, you are not thinking clearly. I understand that you care for Lili, but sending a phoenix to her will not help. It will only bring the monsters closer to her."

"I don't need your advice!" he snapped. "I…I know it's foolish. But I don't have another plan."

"I can send a troll, Arthur. It's not easily detected and will be able to provide some protection to her should she need it." He put a hand on Arthur's shoulder. "She'll be fine."

Arthur took a shaky breath. He didn't have many people he cared about in the world anymore, but Lili was high on his list. She was like a little sister to him, one he had raised and trained and protected. He'd never forgive himself if anything happened to her.

"All right," he whispered. "Send the troll. I…I need to get back."

Bela grabbed his wrist. "Hey. Things'll be okay."

Arthur paused and nodded slightly before turning back to the camp. He saw Antonio waiting along the path but bypassed him completely. The brunette growled and ran to catch up with him.

"Where were you?" he snarled.

"None of your concern," Arthur spat back.

That was the wrong thing to say because Antonio suddenly grabbed Arthur by the shoulders and shoved him against a tree. Arthur cried out in pain. He struggled against the iron grip Antonio had on him but no such luck.

"What the bloody hell is wrong with you?!" he cried. "Put me down!"

"No," Antonio hissed out. "You've been avoiding me."

"_I've_ been avoiding you? Bloody hypocrite."

"What is going on between you and that other witch?"

Arthur rolled his eyes. "Why do you care?"

Antonio's grip faltered on him for a moment. "I-I don't," he said quickly.

"There's nothing going on," Arthur sighed. "Alek and I are old friends and we may have been intimate in the past but that's over now."

There was a tense moment of just the two of them glaring at each other. Finally, Antonio let him go and backed off. "Sorry," he mumbled.

Arthur stared at him curiously for a few minutes. "I know how you feel, Antonio," he said suddenly. The brunette looked back at him with wide eyes. "I just…can't be involved with that sort of thing right now."

"But—"

Arthur shook his head and started walking away. "I'm not worth it."

* * *

><p><em><strong>Author's note: <strong>B'aww yes you're worth it, Arthur! I hope you guys liked this chapter. And here's a little list on who is what in this fic for those that wanted it. _I'm still debating which ones will actually show up. So these aren't written in stone or anything. Question marks mean if I even want to write the characters in or not. __

_**Vampires:** **  
><strong>_  
>Germania<br>France  
>Prussia<br>Austria?  
>Canada<br>Turkey  
>China<br>Monaco  
>Taiwan<br>Hong Kong  
>Netherlands?<p>

_**Werewolves:**_**  
><strong>Clan 1

Rome  
>Spain<br>Germany  
>North Italy<br>South Italy  
>Hungary?<p>

Clan 2

America  
>Australia<br>Cuba  
>Mexico?<p>

Clan 3

Greece  
>Sweden<br>Denmark

**_Witches:__  
><em>**England  
>Norway<br>Belgium  
>Liechtenstein<br>Russia  
>Iceland?<br>Vietnam?  
>Japan?<p> 


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